The Warrior's City
Hey folks, FireClan here. Yes, I'm back. And I've decided to mark my return with the possible start of a new series. I say possible because I'm not sure whether or not I want to go too far into this saga like I did with the FireClan series. Anyways, enjoy. The Blurb When the twolegs left, life just wasn't the same... Oakpaw and Wolfpaw started their lives in the new world, a world of no twolegs, new enemies, and even newer threats. With their parents by their sides, they must learn to survive and live off the changed earth. Will they be able to adapt, or will they be overwhelmed by the new natural order? Allegiances Oakpaw's Family Oakpaw- Small Dark Brown Tom with Brown Eyes Wolfpaw- Gray Tabby Tom with Amber Eyes, Oakpaw's Brother Raptorclaw- Large Gray Tabby Tom with Blue Eyes, Oakpaw's Father Deerheart- Light Brown She-Cat with Amber Eyes, Oakpaw's Father The Metal Ones ERC-003- Description Unknown ERC-2000- Description Unknown ERC-X- Description Unknown Prologue "This is our land! Leave now!" A large gray tom defends his family from the intruder. "Did you hear me? Leave!" The intruder laughed. "You are weak, and growing weaker. I can see it in your frame. You and your family will make an excellent meal." The gray tom snarled and lunged at the intruder. His power must have taken the intruder by surprise as he was too slow to counterattack . The gray tom sunk his fangs into the other tom's neck and shook until he ceased to move. "Raptorclaw," called the gray tom's mate, "that's enough. You've killed him. He's not wrong though, we are growing weaker day by day. We can't even hunt properly." Raptorclaw sighed. "I suppose I could go out and scavenge again. If we're lucky I could find a--" "Our kits don't need rotten carcass meat, Raptorclaw! They need something fresh! Something somewhat edible!" "We've been doing just fine scavenging these past seven years! It hasn't failed us before and it wont fail us now, Deerheart!" "Raptorclaw, I know you thinks it's easier to go scavenge, but think of the kits." Deerheart looked at her two shivering bony kits. "They need real food or they're going to get sick!" Raptorclaw eyed his kits in sorrow. "I know, Deerheart. I want to keep our kits as healthy as possible too, but we have no real options. I haven't seen any prey around in a while, so what exactly are we gonna find that's fre--" Raptorclaw turned around and scanned the dead tom's carcass. "Raptorclaw... what are you thinking?" "Let me see Oakkit." "What?" Deerheart wrapped her tail tightly around her small brown kit. "Just let me see him." Raptorclaw grabbed Oakkit in his jaws and plopped him next to the carcass. Oakkit sniffed the body slightly, before beginning to eat it. Wolfkit, Deerheart's other kit and Oakkit's brother, broke free from his mother's grasp and rushed over to eat as well, much to Deerheart's dismay. "Raptorclaw!" Deerheart gasped in horror, "how could you do this?" Raptorclaw brought his bloodied jaws up from the carcass and turned to his mate. "I don't like this as much as you do, but food is food. If we don't eat, we're as good as dead." "I understand that but cannibalism? Must we resort to something so horrible? This isn't how it used to be!" "Look around you, Deerheart. Nothing's how it used to be. This is a new world we have to face head on. No clans, no leaders, no nine lives. Just us and our wits. If we don't adapt, we'll all be wiped out." Deerheart hesitated before sinking her jaws into the dad tom's flesh. She hated it like nothing else, but her mate was right. Ever since the twolegs disappeared, it was kill or be killed. Chapter One Oakkit woke up with a jolt. Peering outside, it must have been the middle of the night. He felt another small jab in his side. It was his father, Raptorclaw, his pelt shining silver in the moonlight. Oakkit rubbed his sleepy eyes. "What's wrong daddy?" "Wake up your brother and meet me outside." Oakkit watched as Raptorclaw looked over him to Deerheart's sleeping figure. "And don't wake up your mother." "Well why not? Are we leaving? Shouldn't we take her with us?" "We aren't leaving and we're not deserting your mother. Just please do as I say." Raptorclaw's voice grew harsher. Oakkit sighed. "Yes, dad." Oakkit lazily got up from his nest and stumbled over to Wolfkit. "Wolfkit. Wolfkiiiiiit. Wake up!" Wolfkit continued to sleep soundly. "WAKE UP!" Oakkit yelled, forgetting that he couldn't wake up his mother, but thankfully Deerheart was a heavy sleeper much like Wolfkit. Wolfkit lifted his head off the ground. "Wh-what? Oakkit? What do you want?" "Get up. dad needs us outside." Wolfkit dismissed Oakkit's message and sat back down with a snicker. "If dad wants me, he can come get me himself." Just as Oakkit was about to go get Raptorclaw, he came into the den himself. "Wolfkit, up! NOW!" He yelled in a hushed voice. Wolfkit got up from his nest in a flash and rushed outside. Oakkit sighed and followed his brother. Once outside, he turned around to see Raptorclaw was standing on the top of their den, which was really just a big pile of boxes. "Oakkit, Wolfkit, come up here." Their father said. Oakkit and Wolfkit hopped up the boxes until they faced their father at the very to of the stack. Raptorclaw looked down at them, his gaze fixated on theirs. "Boys, you two are older now. You're stronger, you're smarter, and you're faster. We will be leaving this territory soon, but first I have one request. Tonight, I will make you two apprentices and you will go out on your first solo hunt." Oakkit gasped. "Mom wouldn't like this! Is this why we couldn't wake her up?" "Your mother thinks you can live your entire lives as a sheltered kittypet under her control, but she's wrong. It's better that you learn what to do now than to starve once we're gone." Raptorclaw fixed his back and sat up straight. "And so, by the power of StarClan, I give you both your apprentice names. You will be Oakpaw and Wolfpaw. May your hunting be generous and your lives marvelous." Oakpaw could feel the energy of a warrior rushing though his veins. He felt so powerful, like he could take on the whole world by himself. He turned to Wolfkit, now Wolfpaw, to see the same amount of excitement in his face. "Now I'll show you where to hunt." Raptorclaw jumped down from the boxes and drew markings in the dirt with one of he claws. Upon further inspection, Oakpaw realized it was a map of their territory. "This little square here is our den, and this bigger one is an abandoned garbage truck. It usually has a few rats around, it's not much but it should keep us alive for a while longer." "Okay dad. We'll be back soon!" Just as Oakpaw turned to walk away, Raptorclaw stopped him. "Before you go, I need to set some rules. Do not leave out territory or enter anyone else's. And you may run into these strange creatures, not much larger than us, with shiny gray pelts and glowing eyes. Whatever you do, don't bother them. And be safe. Be sensible." "Yes sir!" Oakpaw joked with his father. He and Wolfpaw then turned down the street to begin their hunt. Chapter Two "Oakpaw, I'm tired!" Wolfpaw complained. "Are we almost at that truck?" "According to dad's drawing, we shouldn't be far now." Oakpaw looked around the area. He saw a large brick fence not far ahead. "There! Dad said we would pass a big brick fence! C'mon let's go!" Oakpaw and Wolfpaw ran down the barren street, nearly tipping over several plants, and stopped at the fence. There was a large opening in the fence and on each side was a large stone cat with big hair, sitting on a pedestal. "What is this thing?" Oakpaw padded up to the stone cat and poke one of it's big paws. "It kinda looks like us don't you think?" "Oh! I know what this is!" Wolfpaw approached the stone cat and got a closer look at it. "Yep. This is definitely a lion!" "Lion?" Oakpaw had never heard of an animal like that. "What's a lion? And why is it made of stone?" "A lion is a big cat with long flowing hair around it's neck. And this isn't an actual lion, it's just a statue of a lion. This must be a zoo." "What's a zoo?" Oakpaw hadn't heard of a 'zoo' either. Was it another animal? "Sheesh! Don't you ever listen to Dad's stories? A zoo is a place where a bunch of big animals used to live before the event. There were lions and other big cats, big dogs, lizards, fish, birds, and horses with long necks." Oakpaw looked into the opening in the fence. The only other animals he could see were the occasional crows caught pecking garbage off the pavement, but the place was completely deserted otherwise. "Where are all the animals?" "I've heard that after the event, they all broke out of the zoo and are still roaming the city to this day." Wolfpaw paused and mischievously looked at his brother. "And big animals need more and more food..." "Uh... Wolfpaw..." Oakpaw looked at Wolfpaw nervously. "I bet they're hungry... and they'll eat us!" Wolfpaw made a striking movement towards Oakpaw before breaking into spontaneous laughter. Oakpaw took a moment to recollect. Wolfpaw had scared him bad. "Hey that's not funny! We're out here at night! Alone!" "It was funny to me!" Wolfpaw kept laughing until Oakpaw heard a twig snap behind him. This was his cue to run. Wolfpaw follow soon after until they reached the garbage truck. Chapter Three "So Dad said there would be rats here. Where are they?" Wolfpaw sniffed around and found nothing. "He said there might be rats here. We just have to wait." Oakpaw plopped down in a patch of tall grass and watched the truck. "Wait? I don't want to wait! I'm tired and I want to go home!" "Wolfpaw, Mom and Dad are counting on us to bring back food!" Oakpaw scanned the area and spotted a small lizard scuttling around the garbage. "And there's our break!" "It's not much. Don't you think?" Wolfpaw asked. "Don't be such a downer, Wolfpaw. We can always catch more!" Oakpaw got down into a hunting crouch. But before he could make the strike, something else caught the lizard. Something bigger. Something scarier. Wolfpaw recoiled in horror. "What is that thing?" He yelled. "I'm not sure..." Oakpaw replied, examining the creature. It was stocky like a badger, it's face looked almost bear-like, and it somewhat resembled a dog. "Should we go up to it?" Before Wolfpaw could reply he looked ahead and froze. "No need. It's coming right for us!" Oakpaw turned around to see the stocky creature charging right for them, however it stopped in front off them. It angrily barked something to Oakpaw in a language he didn't understand, before pouncing on the small brown tom. "WOLFPAW! HELP ME, PLEASE!" Oakpaw could barely choke out the words with the creature's paw crushing down on his neck, slowly cutting off his air supply. Oakpaw watch Wolfpaw unsheathe his claws and lunge at the beast, raking his claws across the creature's face. The creature threw Wolfpaw off and took a swipe at his face, sending him flying backwards into a pile of garbage. This is it! Oakpaw thought. I'm done for! Oakpaw closed his eyes just as the creature was about to sink it's jaws into his neck. But the creature's weight suddenly disappeared. Oakpaw got up to see something else was fighting with them! It's silvery pelt reminded him of Raptorclaw, but this new creature was bigger, fiercer, shinier. And then it hit him. One of the shiny creatures Dad told us about! The creature sunk it's metal fangs into the other creature's nape, tearing at it until it went limp and the shiny creature dropped it and turned to Oakpaw. "Cats your age shouldn't be out this far. Where are your parents?" The shiny creature asked. "Uh... We came out to hunt and ran into that thing. We're sorry." "It's no fault of your own. You couldn't have known the wolverines have made their territory here." The shiny creature walked over to Wolfpaw. It was at this time Oakpaw noticed the shiny creature looked like a cat, pointy ears and all. "Your friend needs help. Get him back to your nest immediately." "But how? I can't carry him back to my nest in time! It's too far!" Using it's glowing eyes, the shiny cat looked at Wolfpaw, and then at Oakpaw. "Fine. I'll take you back to your nest." The cat picked up Wolfpaw between his jaws and raced toward the direction Oakpaw had come from. "Follow me." Chapter Four "Dad! We need help!" Oakpaw and the shiny cat strode into their den. The cat dropped Wolfpaw on the ground. Deerheart ran up to Oakpaw in confusion. "Oakpaw what's wro-- Oh god! Raptorclaw! Wolfpaw's hurt!" Raptorclaw raced into the den carrying cobwebs and leaves he had collected, placing them next to Wolfpaw. "I'll need some space. Could you two step out for a bit?" Once outside, Deerheart began to question Oakpaw. "So you two had a run in with a wolverine and that's how Wolfpaw got hurt?" "Yep. I thought we were goners for sure. But that shiny cat helped us out and carried Wolfpaw here!" "Shiny dog?" Deerheart looked around. "What shiny cat?" "The shiny cat that's over..." Oakpaw looked over to the spot where the cat had been sitting, to see it had left. "Oh, I guess he left." "Oh don't feel bad about it. It was probably for the best that he left before your father could see him." "But why?" "Let's just say your father had a run in with those shiny cats before, and they weren't very nice. He's had a grudge with them ever since, but we haven't seen one in a while." "No! This one was different! He wasn't mean, he saved us!" "Don't worry, dear. I'm sure they're not all bad." Deerheart nuzzled Oakpaw with her muzzle when Raptorclaw walked out. "He's alright and he's awake. I used the cobwebs to cover the tears in his face and I used the leaves to form an eye-patch to cover the scar. We can go see him now." Oakpaw padded into the den and approached Wolfpaw's body. Wolfpaw weakly lifted his head to Oakpaw. "Hi Wolfpaw. How are you feeling?" "Great, if you couldn't tell." Wolfpaw looked around the den in confusion. "How did I even get here?" "The shiny dog and I carried you back." "Shiny dog? What shiny dog?" "Oh man you should have seen him! He ripped the wolverine off of me and killed it!" Oakpaw began to describe the shiny dog in more detail. "Now, now, that's enough stories for tonight. I'm sure your brother wants to rest, so it's time for bed." Deerheart told Oakpaw. Oakpaw nuzzled up to his brother and prepared for sleep. Deerheart left the den and joined Raptorclaw outside, saying goodnight to her kits. "Oakpaw." Wolfpaw weakly asked. "Yeah, Wolfpaw?" "I'm scared." "What for?" "The future. I'm hurt pretty badly, and I don't want to die." "You're not gonna die. Neither of us will. We have Mom and Dad to protect us. Don't worry, it's gonna be fine." And with that, Oakpaw fell asleep. Chapter Five Oakpaw awoke to his mother's terrified screech. He looked around the den, neither her nor Raptorclaw were inside. Oakpaw nudged Wolfpaw awake. "Ugh..." Wolfpaw softly whimpered. "What's up?" "Something's wrong. I just heard Mom scream and Dad's not here. We need to get outside." Wolfpaw turned his head over, being careful not to knock the leaves off of his head. "Can't you do that yourself?" Oakpaw turned around to hear a loud wail from Raptorclaw, the kind he made when he was angry. This got Wolfpaw's attention. "Okay." Wolfpaw told him, wide-eyed. "I'll follow you." Oakpaw and Wolfpaw walked outside to see a truly horrible sight. Raptorclaw and Deerheart were surrounded by five wolverines, who must have followed the scent of Wolfpaw's in search of revenge. "Boys!" Raptorclaw yelled to Oakpaw and Wolfpaw. "Run! Get away from here!" "No! We can't leave you!" "We'll be alright! You just g--" Before Raptorclaw could finish his sentence, two wolverines had pounced on him and Deerheart. "G-g-go!" Oakpaw could hear Deerheart's gurgled voice through the noise of the thrashing beasts. However much they would hate to do it, they would have to leave Raptorclaw and Deerheart to fend for themselves. "We need to go! Let's get to the zoo!" Oakpaw yelled to Wolfpaw. "No! We can't leave them! We have to help!" "We can't help them by staying alive! Please, I can't do this without you!" Wolfpaw seemed to struggle with his decision and mumbled his words out. "O-o-okay." Wolfpaw shivered as he spoke. "Let's go." Oakpaw and Wolfpaw ran off towards the zoo as their parent's bloodcurdling screams filled the air mixed with wolverine snarls. Oakpaw couldn't help but let tears run down his face as he heard the screams abruptly cut off. The wolverines had won. After reaching the zoo, Wolfpaw curled up next to Oakpaw under the lion statue. At this point, Wolfpaw was completely bawling, the fur around his face damp with tears. "Wh-wh-what are we gonna do now? Mom and Dad are gone, our home is gone. What now? Are we gonna die?" Oakpaw had to think for a moment. He hated thinking about him and his brother slowly freezing when the cold winds arrived, or them being devoured by some bigger animals, or Wolfpaw's condition being so bad he wouldn't make it. "I don't know, Wolfpaw. I just don't know." This reply certainly didn't calm Wolfpaw, and it certainly didn't calm Oakpaw. "We should find some real shelter before we fall asleep. We can't take any chances." Through the tears and constant sniffles, Wolfpaw managed to say, "Okay." Oakpaw and Wolfpaw managed to find shelter in a large abandoned cage with a few tufts of straw left for a nest. As Oakpaw drifted back to sleep, he swore he could see two stars shooting across the sky in the opposite direction of their old den. Oakpaw and Wolfpaw were officially alone. Chapter Six "Oakpaw" Oakpaw could hear Wolfpaw's soft voice through his heavy sleep. "Oakpaw, wake up. I'm hungry." Oakpaw sat up to see how feeble his brother looked. Usually Wolfpaw was much hardier and energetic than Oakpaw, but now that the affects of his injuries had set in, his personality changed drastically. "Alright, we can hunt. But let's stay in the area. Those wolverines might be around." Oakpaw and Wolfpaw looked around the zoo for any morsel of food they could find. Their search ended up in a moderately-sized building filled with encased water tanks. Wolfpaw was revolted at the sight of many dead fish in the tanks. "Ech. I'm not eating that." Wolfpaw turned to Oakpaw. "I don't think there's anything worth our while in here." "I think your right." Oakpaw scanned the building. "Maybe we can loo--" Oakpaw was interrupted by the sound of something entering the building. He watched the entrance to see what could be inside the building. In what seemed like seconds, the shiny cat from the day before rushing inside while chasing a mouse. It was so set on chasing it's prey it crashed right into one of the tanks. As it shook it's head, disoriented, the mouse scuttled away. It's glowing eyes flickered a bit before glowing solid blue once more. It looked right at Oakpaw, recognising him at once. Before Oakpaw could start up a conversation, his attention was brought to the water tank. The glass was cracking and water was slowly trickling out. The shiny cat turned to Oakpaw and said one thing before racing for the entrance. "Run." The glass shattered at the force of the water gushed through it, engulfing the three animals immediately and sending them flying out the building on the flood. The glass doors that kept the building closed flew open from the force of the water. Oakpaw could hardly get a glimpse of Wolfpaw and the shiny cat before the water churned over him and he blacked out. Oakpaw could feel the salty water dripping from his mouth as he came to. The fur was matted and his bones ached. He looked over to Wolfpaw, who was coughing up small amounts of water. The leaves on his face had fallen off in the rush, leaving a large soggy mass of cobwebs over his scar. Oakpaw then looked over to the shiny cat, who was slowly twitching on the ground. His blue eyes flickered faster and faster until they stopped glowing altogether. Small sparks also formed it. "Hey." Oakpaw and Wolfpaw sat up and walked over to the cat. "Are you alright?" It didn't reply. "Maybe he's cold. Let's dry him off." said Wolfpaw. Oakpaw and Wolfpaw found as many dry things as they could and put them against the cat. The cat's twitching started up again, but it was still otherwise. "Maybe it's tired. Let's get it some food." Oakpaw and Wolfpaw sniffed around the puddles until they found the drowned body of the mouse from the building and brought it to the cat. It's jaw wriggled a bit before it consumed the mouse in one bite. The was a moment of silence as the brother watched the shiny cat. "So... Is it alright?" asked Wolfpaw. His question was answered as the cat sat up on all fours and spoke. As it spoke, it's eyes blinked flashing blue. His jaw didn't move when he talked though, so the voice must have somehow come from a different source within the cat. "ERC-003 PROTOTYPE PROBE ON. REBOOT SYSTEM ACTIVATED. SERVOS RESTARTING." A whirring noise emanated from the cat until the its eyes were solid blue once more. The cat looked at Oakpaw, then at Wolfpaw, then around him. "How am I functioning right now? I should have shorted out in the flood." "Well, we don't know what shorting out means," said Oakpaw. "but we dried you off and gave you some food. Now you're all better!" The cat looked at his dripping underbelly. "There are still some complications. I should empty this water." Oakpaw was confused. "Empty the water? You mean like pee?" But the cat didn't respond. Instead, a space in his underbelly opened up and water poured out. Oakpaw recoiled in shock due to the lack of organs or blood inside it. Instead there were little metal boxes and small circular objects that turned in unison. Wolfpaw stepped back in shock. "What... what was that?" The cat looked at Wolfpaw. "I was emptying the water in my servos. What's so wrong with that?" "What... what are you?" "What am I?" The cat turned it's head in confusion. "Isn't it obvious? I'm a robot." Robot. Oakpaw had never heard that word before. "What's a robot?" "I'm a robot. A robot is a creature with no organic material. I'm full metal and nothing else. Wires and clockwork keeps me going." Oakpaw wasn't understanding what this 'robot' was saying. "So you don't have a heart of blood? How are you alive?" "The power of technology. I'm one of the hundred robots created to serve the humans. I am ERC-003, a prototype of the ERC model." Oakpaw was still as confused as ever. Wolfpaw was the one asking the questions in the conversation. "ERC? What's an ERC?" "ERC stands for Emergency Robotic Cat. I am the 3rd model created to be better than my predecessors, models 001 and 002." "You're still not making any sense? We still don't know what a robot is!" Oakpaw told ERC-003. "Here, touch my pelt." ERC put his leg up to Oakpaw. "Notice how you have skin and fur whereas I am entirely metal. This is what makes me a robot. You have blood and organs, I have servos and fuel. This also makes me a robot." "Wow." Oakpaw stepped back, still taking in all the knowledge of robotics. "I have so many questions." Before Oakpaw could ask however, ERC's attention was brought to Wolfpaw. "Your brother may want to redress his wound or it could get infected." The robot pointed to the soggy cobwebs covering Wolfpaw's scar. "We'd love to, but we don't know what to do or what to put on it." "Hmmm." ERC turned his head and though for a moment. "Perhaps I could be of assistance. If you follow me to my nest, I can look at the wound for you." "You'd really do that for us?" "Of course." The cat's robotic eyes gleam with pride. "It's the least I can do. I would still be broken down without your help. My nest isn't far from here. Perhaps I could answer some of your questions once we get there." ERC-003 padded away farther into the zoo. Oakpaw and Wolfpaw glanced at each other in wonderment before tagging along behind. Chapter Seven ERC-003 moved a medium-sized stone block away from a hole in a cage. Oakpaw guessed this was his den, and the block kept other animals out. Once inside, Oakpaw was marveled at how neat and clean it was, compared to all the dirt and scratches on ERC's metal pelt. "This place is very nice." Wolfpaw commented. "Well, I like to keep my things clean." ERC picked through a pile of assorted prey and grabbed a mouse. "You two must be hungry. Help yourselves." Oakpaw watched in awe as ERC downed the entire mouse in seconds. "Wait, if you're a robot, and you don't have any inside parts like a stomach, why and how do you eat?" Wolfpaw joined in on the conversation. "Yeah, and if you don't have a brain, how do you think?" "I see how you could get confused on that. Let me show you." ERC sat down in front of Oakpaw and Wolfpaw and opened the cavity in his chest once again. "My kind are built to have a biomass to energy converter. This means when I eat something, it converts to fuel in my digestion tank and keeps me alive." "So is that why you started working again after we gave you that food?" Wolfpaw asked. "I would think so. I was running low on power anyway and running out of the building must have drained it." Oakpaw still didn't understand most of the big words ERC was saying, but he could understand some things. From what he could put together, ERC was something was wasn't alive, but in a way is alive. Just not like himself or Wolfpaw. "Oh dear," ERC eyed Wolfpaw's face. "It appears I've gotten sidetracked. Come, I'll redress your wound so it doesn't get infected." ERC tapped his foot on the ground to signal Wolfpaw to sit next to him. Oakpaw watched as ERC tore the mass of cobwebs off of Wolfpaw's face, revealing the bloody pink shin underneath. Oakpaw couldn't help but notice how cloudy Wolfpaw's injured eye was. "Uh.. ERC, what's wrong his eye? Why's it all cloudy?" "My eye?" Wolfpaw's undamaged eye widened. "What's wrong with my eye?" ERC examined the eye once more. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but the wolverine must have blinded you in your wounded eye. That's why it's so cloudy." "Blind? I'm BLIND? This can't be happening!" "Well, it's not that bad." Oakpaw tried to comfort his brother the best he could. "Not that bad? One of my eyes doesn't work! How is that not that bad?" ERC patted Wolfpaw on the shoulder. "Calm down little one. Be thankful your other eye still works. There's no reason to yell at your brother. Don't worry, I'll fix you up." TBC